Getting Around & Transport– category –

New penalties affecting anyone who drives a car or motorbike in Vietnam take effect on August 15, 2026. Decree 238 (238/2026/NĐ-CP) sets fines of up to 26 million VND (approx. ¥150,000 at a reference rate of 170 VND per yen) for cars whose license plates are obscured to evade automatic enforcement cameras...

Da Nang International Airport is expanding its congested domestic Terminal 1 for 9.9 trillion VND (approx. ¥56.5 billion), bringing the floor area to 96,000 m². A practical guide to operational changes that travelers and business visitors should prepare for during the 2027–2029 construction period.

Airfares from Ho Chi Minh City to neighboring ASEAN countries have dropped significantly between August and September. Routes to Singapore, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur—all reachable over a weekend—are prominently featured, with one-way fares around ¥10,000 and round trips in the ¥20,000 range. As the summer homecoming and travel rush subsides...

The days of foreigners living in Vietnam handing over original passports and multiple copies of residency documents at service counters may be coming to an end, as the government has begun steering in a new direction. According to a report by VnExpress on August 12, 2026, e-visas, the electronic ID app VNeID, banking, rental, and residency registration...

Under Government Resolution 66.22/2026/NQ-CP, fee exemptions and reductions for electronic procedures using VNeID take effect from August 15. The headline measure is vehicle registration tax: a 50% discount for automobiles and zero tax for motorcycles. Whether you are an expat posted from Kyoto or a resident planning to buy or transfer ownership of a car or motorbike, this affects you directly...

Phu Quoc International Airport saw more than 8,500 additional flights in January–July 2026, with 27,919 takeoffs and landings—up approximately 44%—and 4.48 million passengers. A practical guide for Japanese travelers on how island access will change with a second runway and APEC 2027 expansion.

A tourist train linking Hue and Phong Nha begins service on September 1, 2026. The route covers approximately 190 km through central Vietnam in 4 hours 40 minutes, with fares of 360,000 VND (approx. ¥2,100). Access and booking tips for Japanese travelers are explained.

The electronic passport stored in VNeID is for administrative procedures only and cannot be used for international arrivals and departures in Vietnam. This article clarifies the rules requiring a physical passport to avoid being held up at the airport, along with practical guidance on domestic flights and automated gates for Japanese residents and business travelers.

Under Decree 218/2026, which takes effect in Vietnam on August 10, contracted buses (xe hợp đồng) will be prohibited from picking up and dropping off passengers in front of offices or on public streets. Violations can result in revocation of the transport operating license. This article offers a practical look at how bookings and meeting-point arrangements for limousine transfers and intercity travel will change for residents and business travelers.

Under Article 10 of Vietnam's Circular 29, which takes effect in August, photos and videos taken by members of the public can be used as evidence in traffic violation cases. However, fines are not issued immediately — submissions go through a verification process that normally takes 30 days and can extend to a maximum of 60 days. Here is a practical guide for resident drivers covering the three submission channels and how the process works.